


With You In My Head

by Hidge



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Codependency, Developing Relationship, F/M, No Incest, Pietro Maximoff Lives, Pietro POV, Protective Siblings, Telepathic Bond, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 04:05:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16009934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hidge/pseuds/Hidge
Summary: Things were different when he emerged from the cradle.The one thing that had changed that he hadn’t seen coming was his relationship with Wanda.





	With You In My Head

**Author's Note:**

> This is only incestuous if you want it to be, it's more about exploring the twins' co-dependency issues. I find their relationship fascinating.
> 
> This is also entirely in Pietro's perspective using the mental link that he has with Wanda. As a result, he frequently refers to Vision in as many dehumanizing ways as possible. Our poor, sensitive boy.
> 
> But there is fluff! Enjoy!

Things were different when he emerged from the cradle.

He knew that they would be, he wasn’t stupid. Arguably, he was even less human than he had been before, otherwise how could his body have healed from 47 bullet wounds. 

He was still training to get his full speed back. His reflexes had slowed just a tad, along with some of his memory recall and cognitive processing – Dr. Cho’s words, not his. He still had the scars to show that he had indeed been gunned down, and the world moved just a beat slower after being in a medically induced coma for almost three weeks. 

But he was alive, and, despite everything, he still felt like himself.

There was no more Ultron. No more Sokovia. No more burning, raging desire to kill everything and everyone affiliated with Tony Stark. He was an Avenger now, and he lived in the Avengers facility in America.

So things were different. Naturally.

The one thing that had changed that he hadn’t seen coming was his relationship with Wanda.

She had been at his bedside when he had awoken, holding his hand and stroking his hair out of his face. Her name had been the first word to come to his mind.

“Little sister,” he murmured hoarsely.

Wanda had been so relieved to see that he was alive, awake, and talking. She had burst into tears and climbed onto the rather spacious, comfortable hospital bed to curl into him and cry into his chest.

“I was so scared, Pietro,” she muttered through sobs. “I felt you die. I felt it. I felt your heart stop, and everything was so quiet. For a moment, I couldn’t hear anything. I was so scared.”

He repeatedly kissed the top of her head and hummed an old Sokovian lullaby, the way their mother had. She continued to cry, but they were silent tears, and her arm wrapped tighter around him, like she was afraid to lose him again.

He was so happy to see her, and that she was safe, that it took him several minutes to notice the shadow in the corner of the room moving. He narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow before he realized that it wasn’t a shadow at all. It was the Vision. Ultron’s creation, that could wield Thor the god’s hammer, looked large and formidable sitting in the small chair still wearing his long, golden cape.

“Wanda,” he whispered as he brushed a hand through her long hair, the texture between his fingertips so comforting and familiar. “Do I have a watch dog?”

She seemed confused for a moment before she turned her head. “Oh, Vision? He was just worried about you. He wanted to stay.”

The Vision was a _he_ and could feel _worry_? Everything about that seemed odd to Pietro. 

“Vision,” Wanda spoke, “we’re okay now. You don’t have to stay.”

The Vision slowly rose to his full height and blinked slowly, systematically. “Perhaps I should bring Mr. Maximoff some water?”

Wanda smiled softly. “I think that’s a great idea, Vision.”

He and Wanda fell into quiet conversation in Sokovian, mostly about how he was feeling, until the Vision returned. He placed a bottle of water on the table near Pietro’s bedside and then carefully cradled the mug he was holding with both hands.

“I also brought you a tea, Miss Maximoff. I understand that hot beverages are comforting and I have noticed that you yourself prefer tea.”

Wanda sat up and Pietro watched as she accepted the Vision’s offer with a gentle smile. “That is very thoughtful, Vision. Thank you.”

Pietro observed their curious interaction with a tilt of his head. He was slightly drowsy and disoriented, but he could have sworn that the Vision was smiling like a proud, accomplished child. 

 

As days and weeks passed, Pietro adjusted to his new life with vigour. He quickly began to appreciate American culture, the constant, essentially instant access to music, movies, television, and, the one thing he would never tell his sister about, porn. He took to running early in the morning with Sam and Captain Rogers, as he worked himself back to his old speed. He looked forward to each and every training session – strength and conditioning, hand-to-hand combat, intelligence gathering, even team bonding activities. The large kitchen with virtually an endless selection of food was perfect for his enhanced metabolism. He had never known such fullness in his entire life and he relished the opportunity to perfectly cater and craft his diet to his body’s specific needs.

Wanda, as usual, was much more quiet and contemplative in their new environment. She joined everyone else for a lot of training sessions, but she also spent a great deal of time meditating, playing chess, and building towering houses of cards with her powers. While he displayed endless amounts of energy, Wanda needed tactful moments of control and peace.

He needed physical activity; she needed mental stimulation.

As a result of this, she spent a great deal of time with the only other member of the team who didn’t require physical training - the Vision.

The robot practically orbited around her.

Which made him pay a great deal of attention to their interactions.

Wanda had shown a great deal of interest in the Vision, even before his birth. She had initiated a connection with him when he had been in the cradle. Before the Battle of Sokovia, she had watched him with an almost fascination. Even then it had troubled Pietro; he had never seen his sister look at anyone that way.

When he learned that the Vision had saved her in Sokovia, his fears had heightened. While he had been unconscious on a flying boat, Sokovia had fallen out of the sky. Wanda had still been in the city centre, after finding Ultron on an old train car, but the Vision, like something out of a children’s book, had flown in, swept her into his arms, and carried her to safety.

That had been his job, but he had not been there to do it.

He chalked up Wanda’s kindness towards the android to her general personality, she had always been more gentle than him, and the fact that Wanda hated owing anyone a debt, and a debt like saving her life could not be repaid so easily. It was a theory that eased some of the tension that he felt about the situation.

But then he overheard an unexpected conversation.

While he was hiding behind the island in the kitchen, devouring an entire jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread, Wanda tentatively approached the Vision in the living room.

“You’ve been thinking about me,” his sister spoke softly.

“Pardon me, Miss Maximoff?”

“My powers,” she explained slowly, and he could see her tapping her forehead through their mental link. “When someone is thinking about me, even if I can’t see them, it’s sort of like I get…I dunno…it’s hard to explain, sort of like an itch? When I’m already connected to that person, it’s even clearer. So,” she shifted to perch herself on the end of the sofa, “is something on your mind?”

Pietro stopped chewing so that he could focus all of his concentration on the conversation happening mere feet from him.

“I know that it is not possible, I have analyzed all of the logical explanations, but you feel so _familiar_ to me.”

Wanda smiled to herself and a feeling washed over her that made the hairs on Pietro’s forearms stand up.

“I think I know why,” she answered. The Vision turned to her eagerly and she continued without much of a pause. “When you were in the cradle, before you were even really _you_ , I was able to read you. Dr. Cho said it was just a streaming of your base consciousness, but I know that you were dreaming. You were flying.”

The Vision looked down at the floor before he raised his head with the hint of a smile. “I was?”

She nodded. “You liked the feeling of the air on your face. I think I have another reason too. That stone in your forehead,” she gestured, “that’s how Pietro and I got our…abilities. I know because your voice in my head is clearer, more distinct than others. Can you hear me too?”

The Vision stared at her for a long time before his face broke into a rather relieved, if not overjoyed, smile. “I wasn’t sure at first. I thought it might have been…” He stopped talking and shook his head. “I am glad that it is you, Miss Maximoff. Your mind is beautiful. Unique.”

His sister quickly shook her head and began to argue. “No, it’s not.” She raised her right hand and watched her magic dance along her fingers. “It’s dangerous. _I’m_ dangerous.”

“I have seen your power, and yet I do not believe that.”

Wanda shyly shifted and avoided his gaze. “Can I sit with you? Everyone else in this building is so loud.” She pointed to her head so that the Vision knew that she was talking about their thoughts, not their voices.

“Yes, of course, Miss Maximoff. Anytime.” 

 

The interesting conversation prompted Pietro to go on his own quest for knowledge. During one of his regular post-cradle checkups with Dr. Cho, he couldn’t hold back his curiosities.

“What exactly is the Vision?” He asked as he sat on the exam table and let the doctor run whatever tests she needed to run.

“Well,” Dr. Cho spoke slowly. “That is a complicated question. It may be best if we let him figure that out for himself.”

Pietro furrowed his brow and wrinkled his nose in annoyance. That was not the answer he was looking for. “But can he feel? He doesn’t sleep or eat, right?”

“He doesn’t need to sleep or eat; however, his body requires rest and nourishment in other ways.”

“But what about feelings?” He repeated.

Dr. Cho looked at him thoughtfully before she responded. “Vision has shown a wide emotional spectrum so far in his young life.” She took his blood pressure before she spoke again. “May I ask why you are asking these questions, Pietro?”

“You know that the stone that’s in the Vision’s head is what gave my sister and I our powers?” Dr. Cho nodded in confirmation so he continued. “Well it gives us this connection, it’s almost telepathic, but there’s more to it than that. I _feel_ her, all the time.” He stopped and shook his head, they had always found it hard to explain their relationship, even before the experiments. “I thought that it was something our powers gave us because we’re twins and everything, but I think that she has the same connection with the Vision.”

Helen Cho promptly tilted her head, her scientific interest clearly showing. “And you do not?”

Pietro shook his head. 

“I would venture to guess it is simply an extension of your sister’s abilities. The Mind Stone lets her see another layer of Vision’s mind.”

He was quick to voice his selfish concern. “What if the Vision doesn’t see it like that?”

“What do you mean?” Dr. Cho asked in confusion.

“What if he thinks that connection makes their relationship special?”

“Doesn’t it?” She answered with a smile.

 

The day that they received their new Avengers costumes was a significant turning point in Pietro’s opinion of the robot.

He was so caught up in his new outfit – light weight, friction resistant, bullet proof – that he almost missed it. In fact, his instincts sensed it before it came into his view. Someone was thinking about his sister in a decidedly unacceptable way. He turned his body and spotted the Vision standing eerily still with his head tilted slightly to the right. The robot’s gaze was unmistakably directed towards his sister’s legs and behind.

Wanda was working on a new task that Captain Rogers had assigned her, moving and stacking heavy crates with her magic, a buildup he assumed to moving people midair and in motion. She was intensely concentrating, and sporting her new costume as well. Whoever had designed it had certainly captured his twin’s style – leather boots with a heel, black leather pants, a scarlet, corset top with a matching, knee-length, leather coat. It was certainly formfitting, but she had been running around in it earlier this morning so it was obviously comfortable. The costume demanded visual appraisal, but not from the robot.

Pietro sped towards the Vision and not so subtly bumped into his side. “What are you looking at?” He spoke through gritted teeth.

The A.I. with an English accent slowly turned towards him, blinking slowly with those creepy spinning irises. “Pardon me, Mr. Maximoff? I did not register your question.”

The blonde scoffed, “That’s because you were staring at my sister’s ass.” If the android was capable of blushing, Pietro was sure that he would be seeing it first hand. “Well?” He prompted impatiently.

“In my defence, I don’t believe I am capable of thinking such things, Mr. Maximoff. I was simply admiring Miss Maximoff’s…” He trailed off as his lips pursed thoughtfully.

“Ass?” Pietro quickly supplied.

The Vision raised his hands defensively and repeatedly shook his head. “N-no, no, that’s not,” he stuttered.

Pietro wasn’t aware that he could stutter.

They were interrupted by the very person that they were discussing. “What’s going on?” She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the pair of them. “You’re mad,” she stated as she stared at him, and then, “And you’re upset,” as she shifted to the android.

Pietro crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. “The Vision was about to apologize for staring at your ass.”

The Vision’s mouth dropped open as he turned to Wanda placatingly. “Miss Maximoff, I was admiring your new coat.”

Pietro rolled his eyes while Wanda blushed prettily and grabbed the edge of her coat to show it off. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

The Vision smiled and they began to chatter about her new wardrobe while Pietro stood dumbfounded. His patience quickly wore thin and he grabbed his sister by the elbow and steered her towards the exit.

“Pietro!” She screeched as she wriggled out of his grasp.

He rolled his eyes again and scoffed. “You didn’t actually buy that coat bullshit?”

Now it was Wanda’s turn to roll her eyes. “I can read minds, Pietro. Vision is not your average man. He isn’t thinking about sex every minute of the day.”

“He’s not a man at all,” Pietro shot back. “But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t checking you out.”

Wanda rolled her eyes again and smacked his arm. “Grow up, Pietro.” 

 

Pietro spent as much time as he could in his sister’s bedroom. It was odd for them to be so apart. Even though the conditions were incomparable, he couldn’t stop thinking that the only other time they had been separated by physical barriers had been by the concrete walls of their Hydra cells.

He walked around her room, picking at the various knickknacks Natasha had encouraged her to buy, as she painted her nails at her desk. It was comforting to him that she still wore dark nail polish because all of the dark makeup, coats of eyeliner and eyeshadow, that she used to wear was gone. That look he had become accustomed to – the ferocity, the determination, the sense that she wasn’t as vulnerable as she appeared – had vanished along with the makeup. He was still working out what to make of that. Because he knew that his sister was all of those things and more, but she didn’t feel the need to wear it like armour anymore.

“Pietro, don’t pick at everything,” she scolded.

He chuckled as he put down the scented candle in his hand. He walked towards the bed and collapsed back onto the mattress. “Do you like it here, Wanda?”

She answered his question carefully. “I am getting used to it. Do you?”

“Yeah,” he answered quickly. “For the most part.”

He intuitively understood her reservations. It was hard to get used to having enough to eat, water to bathe, the means to buy things instead of just stealing them. They were not used to this sort of lifestyle. Even when their parents had been alive, their lives had been modest.

“Are you still having nightmares?” He questioned softly.

“Sometimes,” she whispered in Sokovian.

Pietro knew that sometimes his sister’s nightmares got so bad that her powers would act up in her sleep. It was dangerous because she had no control, no awareness of what she was doing, and she could easily slip into other people’s consciousness. Although nothing supernatural happened to him, he was certainly not immune to bad dreams. He frequently woke up in cold sweats, short of breath, and he would sneak into Wanda’s room for comfort.

“I can stay with you, if you want,” he offered protectively.

She turned her head to look at him with a small smile. “I would like that.”

He smiled happily and made himself more comfortable on her bed.

A few hours later, Wanda was ready to go to sleep and she moved to change into her sleepwear. All of their years living together on the streets and squatting in whatever buildings they could find had made them oblivious to the need for privacy around each other. It was not unusual for them to change in front of each other so he didn’t even blink when she pulled her sweater over her head.

“Miss Maximoff, I was just wondering if—”

Pietro shot up into a sitting position when he heard that familiar, grating voice.

The Vision abruptly stopped talking when his eyes fell on Wanda standing beside her dresser in just a pair of shorts and a bra.

“Vision,” she exhaled in surprise. “You came through the wall.”

“Yes,” he answered in confirmation. “It was the quickest, most efficient path.”

“Ever heard of knocking?” Pietro asked in annoyance.

The Vision turned to him with an expression that clearly said that he had not.

“Vision,” Wanda began calmly, still shirtless and completely unashamed of her body. “When my door is closed it means that I might not want company.”

The Vision brought a hand to his face and tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Oh. So if I knock on your door, you may extend me an invitation?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Pietro rolled his eyes as the Vision floated backwards, disappearing through the wall. He opened his mouth to complain, but was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

Wanda laughed to herself as she walked to the door and opened it just enough to poke her head out. “Hi Vision, I’m actually getting ready to go to bed. Can we talk in the morning?”

“Yes, of course,” he answered politely. “Good night, Miss Maximoff.”

Pietro was about to bitch and moan again, but the expression on his sister’s face was one of fond exasperation. 

 

Disturbingly enough, spying on his sister’s afternoon conversations with the Vision became part of his daily routine. He wasn’t always the most talented at multitasking, his mind was generally too scattered for that. But he had been attuned to Wanda for so long that keeping an eye and ear out for her, and doing something else, had become second nature. So while he completed his training with the rest of the Avengers, he listened to Wanda and the robot talk about everything from books and music to human etiquette and existence. Wanda seemed to be the Vision’s sounding board for all of the questions and concerns that he had about the world.

But his favourite subject, by far, was Wanda herself.

“What is the significance of the necklaces you always wear?” The android asked one afternoon. “What do they mean?”

Wanda glanced down at the chains hanging around her neck and instinctively touched the longer one. “This one,” she began as she raised her hand to touch the red pendant that settled above her chest. “Pietro stole it from a jewellery store to give to me as a gift on our fourteen birthday.”

“And the other is a coin?”

She nodded as she grasped the much longer necklace that almost reached her bellybutton. “It is from our home, or at least I like to pretend it is. I found it in the rubble of the apartment building where we lived.”

Pietro almost stopped mid-sprint. His sister wasn’t exactly someone who liked to share details about herself.

“I am sorry,” the Vision responded gently, “for the loss that you have endured in your young life.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. “It gets easier, if that makes sense.”

The Vision shifted closer to her on the sofa before he asked his next question. “Do your rings have similar meanings?”

She smirked and shifted closer to him as well. “In Sokovia, it is common for young women to wear rings on all of their fingers until they are married.” She leaned in and whispered to him almost playfully, “To protect their virtue from the devil.”

“Oh,” he replied in surprise. “Interesting.”

His face morphed into a grin when she started to laugh at his reaction. “That’s not why I wear them,” she said as she continued to laugh. “I just see something I like and I get it. Never anything too expensive, handmade jewellery from small stalls and things like that.”

She laughed again as the android just nodded repeatedly.

“You are very beautiful when you laugh, and when you smile,” he stated matter-of-factly.

That made Pietro stop in his tracks.

Wanda blushed, a natural reaction, and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Thank you.”

Pietro could feel not only Wanda’s pleased, flattered, almost shy reaction to his compliment, but the emotions that she had picked up from the Vision as well. He had been deathly afraid to utter those words.

A few weeks later, when the Vision went on his first mission as an Avenger, he brought back a present for Wanda – a ring that he had seen at a local market.

 

Pietro could tell that the other Avengers thought it was cute, the way the Vision would shoot shy, sideways glances at her and look for moments to make her smile or place his hand on the small of her back while they cooked together. Pietro, on the other hand, found it disgusting the way the android slobbered over his precious sister. It was ridiculous and unnatural, and he had no idea what the Vision was thinking. What made him believe that a woman like Wanda would show him any kind of interest or affection? It made his blood boil.

“Vision,” he began one day when it was just the two of them in the living area. “Do you know anything about soulmates?”

Vision turned to him with a smile, as if pleased to understand what they were going to be discussing. “Yes, Mr. Maximoff. A soulmate is defined as a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.”

“Yes, so this will be an easy conversation.” He noticed the slight tilt in the Vision’s head to suggest that he was unsure of what was about to happen, but Pietro proceeded nonetheless. “Wanda and I are twins. We are two halves of a whole, we have been together our entire lives. Everything that I have ever done has been to protect her.”

“I understand, Mr. Maximoff,” he responded softly.

“So you understand that we are soulmates? Nothing, _no one_ , can come between us, and it would be smart to not even try.”

Pietro knew that his voice had taken on a dark, threatening quality, and that his body had involuntarily prepared for a fight.

“Now I’m not sure I understand,” he spoke shakily.

“I see the way you look at her,” Pietro said through gritted teeth.

The robot looked incredibly startled, perhaps even nervous, and his mouth opened and closed repeatedly, like one of those stupid fish. Before he could utter a word, they both heard their favourite voice behind them.

“Pietro?”

He jumped to his feet and sped towards her in his signature flash of blue tinged silver. “Sister?”

“What’s going on?” She asked suspiciously. Her eye line was directed at Vision, who was now awkwardly standing in front of the sofa, wringing his hands in front of him.

“Nothing,” Pietro answered quickly, “just having a chat.”

“Vision?” She asked, and her voice was tinged with a warmth that was usually only reserved for him. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, of course, Miss Maximoff,” he smiled. “I was just making my leave to start on dinner.”

 

“Hey, hey, hey,” he cooed as Wanda bolted into a sitting position and gasped for air. “It’s okay. I’m here.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. She melted against him, hiccupping for breath, and she wrapped an arm around his abdomen instinctually.

Another night. Another nightmare.

He took a quick glance around her bedroom as he worked his hand through her hair and kissed the top of her head. It didn’t appear as if she had moved anything around with her magic this time. Progress.

He held her tightly, exactly like he had when they were little, and sang to her in a quiet, rough voice.

“What was it this time?” He finally asked.

She shook her head against him. “It doesn’t matter,” she answered, trying to sound dismissive.

He waited for her to get it off her chest, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back, but she stayed silent. He thought that she had slipped back into sleep when he felt her shift. She slowly got out of bed and moved her hand slowly through the tangles in her hair.

“I’m going to get a glass of water,” she muttered. 

She walked through her bedroom door and his mind followed hers.

She got a tall glass and filled it at the sink. She sipped it while she leaned against the kitchen counter and she was not startled by the Vision’s sudden appearance. She had probably sensed his thoughts.

“Miss Maximoff,” he spoke, “you should be sleeping.”

“Yeah,” she replied dully, “I know.”

“Do you not sleep like the others?”

She spun around and offered him a small smile. “No, I don’t. I’ve never been a good sleeper.”

He tilted his head curiously. “Do you experience bad dreams?”

“I do,” she answered in a whisper.

“Would you like to talk about it? My research tells me that some humans find that helpful.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she responded quickly. “I just…um…can you just sit with me?”

“Yes, of course.”

They moved towards the sofa and the Vision sat down, rigidly, with his hands on his knees. Wanda curled up with her feet beneath her and, after a moment’s hesitation, she leaned against his chest.

“You know that I do not sleep?”

“Yes, Vision,” she chuckled. “I know.”

The Vision’s posture eventually relaxed and he gingerly placed a hand on her upper arm. “Are you comfortable?” He asked, and the consideration was far too evident in his voice.

She nodded against his body and mumbled, “I didn’t think you’d be so warm.”

“I elevated my body temperature because of the goosebumps on your skin,” he explained.

She glanced down at the goosebumps on her bare arms before she smiled to herself and snuggled closer. “Thank you. You’re sweet.” 

 

Pietro tried to tamper down his resentment towards the android, but it grew and grew with every sentence and small gesture. The Vision practically _doted_ on Wanda. He was like a lovesick teenager, following her around like a puppy at every opportunity.

What made him the most upset was the reality that the Vision really seemed to get his sister. The robot understood her need for quiet in a way that no one, not even himself, had shown a capacity and aptitude for. The number of afternoons and nights that the two of them spent in complete, comfortable silence was endless. They didn’t need to talk, and Pietro knew that he would never understand that.

He made snide comments towards the Vision at every turn, but he knew that the Vision was still wrapping his mind around sarcasm, and therefore, did not always notice. He took everything annoyingly in stride.

Even Pietro’s disdain of the shopping adventures that Tony Stark made them take together.

He rolled his eyes as he watched the Vision try on another bloody sweater.

“That looks nice on you, buddy,” Stark complimented with a smile.

The Vision ran his hand down the front of the navy sweater with a thoughtful expression.

“Remind me why we’re doing this again?” He groaned. “He doesn’t even need clothes,” he said as he gestured towards the mirror.

“All new Avengers need a new wardrobe,” Stark answered breezily.

The Vision turned, examining himself at a new angle, and Pietro shifted in his chair restlessly. He had already picked out new clothes and sneakers, and everything else he saw that he wanted, and to him it was ridiculous that a being that could literally shift his molecules to look like _anything_ was taking the time to try on sweaters and slacks. 

Stark stepped closer to his creation and nudged him playfully. “Maybe you should try on more black. We know someone who seems to like a lot of black.”

If the Vision had the ability, he would certainly be blushing. He bashfully looked down at his shoes and shifted uncomfortably. Who they were talking about was clear.

Pietro impressed himself by keeping his mouth shut.

He couldn’t resist when the Vision tried on a black suit, red tie combination, and Stark had to step away to take a phone call.

“Wearing her favourite colours isn’t going to change anything,” he sniped.

The android spun around to face him with a slightly furrowed brow. He almost looked like he was struggling with what to say, but Pietro did not give him the opportunity.

“Do you even have a dick?” He questioned crudely.

The Vision looked expectedly affronted. “Excuse me, Mr. Maximoff?”

Pietro jumped onto his feet and shrugged casually. “You’re learning to be more human, or whatever, and you’ve been obsessing over my sister, so you must have thought about it, right?”

“Thought about what, Mr. Maximoff?” The Vision asked nervously.

Pietro stared at him, an intentional condescending expression on his face. “Fucking her.”

The Vision’s jaw dropped and he avoided eye contact. “This is an uncomfortable and inappropriate conversation.” He spoke so lowly that it was almost a mumble. “It is disrespectful to be discussing Miss Maximoff this way.”

Pietro opened his mouth to tell the robot that he didn’t want him even _thinking_ about his sister, but that was the moment that Stark returned. The speedster settled for a snarl and returned to his seat. 

 

It took Pietro a day or two to understand why a being that didn’t need to sleep had been so persistent in bugging Stark to get him a bed. The bed wasn’t for the Vision; it was for his sister, who had taken to seeking out the android when she had nightmares. So he held her while she tried to sleep, and brushed a hand through her hair, and chased away her memories.

As her big brother, he had been her security blanket for years and it felt like he had been tossed aside.

“Vision,” she whispered as they lay on the large, new bed facing each other. 

“Yes, Wanda?” He whispered back.

It was the first time Pietro had heard him use his sister’s first name and he detested the way it sounded in his proper, polished, English accent.

“What are you afraid of?”

Pietro’s eyebrows rose into his hairline. This was an interesting turn in conversation.

“Pardon?”

“I know what everyone in this compound is afraid of, I’ve seen it in their heads and I’ve played with it. You know what I’m afraid of now, because of my nightmares. So what are you afraid of?”

There was a significant silence before he responded. “I suppose that right now I am afraid of you.”

Pietro could clearly see the look of devastation on his dear sister’s face. She never said it out loud, but since the experiments, the only thing that she craved was acceptance. It was incredibly convenient for villainous purposes, but she hated it when people were visibly afraid of her.

The Vision was quick to reassure her. “Not like that,” he murmured as he slowly reached forward to cup her cheek with his red hand. “I think I…” He trailed off and Pietro watched his thumb stroke Wanda’s supple cheek. “I think I realize that you have a power over me that the others do not.”

“What do you mean?” She prodded.

“I find that I do things with the goal of making you laugh or smile. When I choose films for us to watch, I spend a great deal of time weighing whether or not you will enjoy it. I want to experience all of the things that you enjoy. I have downloaded everything there is to know about Sokovia onto my systems. I wish to master Sokovian dishes to make you feel more at home. In short, —”

“You like me,” she finished for him.

“From what I have read, I believe that is a gross underestimation, which is why I am afraid. There is no logical reason for you to think about me the same way.”

Pietro could feel the faint smile on his twin’s face. It was tinged with sadness.

“Love isn’t logical, Vision.” She placed her hand on his chest before she leaned in to kiss him.

Pietro closed his eyes at the same time that he felt his fingers curl into fists. He couldn’t bear to watch them tentatively kiss on the bed. Once again, his sister was right. Love isn’t logical.

 

Pietro considered that the Vision was more like a hotblooded male than he had given him credit for when he spent the entire next morning with a shit eating grin on his face. He floated around the kitchen in a daze and only seemed to snap back to life when they moved into an entire team training session.

Unfortunately, it was team sparring, and the only fair match for Wanda was the Vision.

Wanda giggled as the Vision finally gave in and began to fight her in earnest, perhaps truly testing her abilities for the first time. The rest of the team stopped their training and watched, enraptured. Watching Wanda and the Vision fight was like watching a perfectly choreographed ballet. The android effortlessly dodged her energy blasts and shifted his molecular structure when it was more convenient. Every move he made to advance towards her was countered with scarlet tendrils grasping at his wrists or ankles. As they danced around the room, Wanda wore an expression on her face that could only be described as pure joy.

Pietro could not remember the last time he had seen her look so happy.

When the red robot finally gained the upper hand and was able to knock her to the ground, he looked incredibly shocked and ashamed. “M-Miss Maximoff,” he stuttered, “I am so sorry. I did not intend—”

He was interrupted by her happy laughter. She leaned back on her hands and looked up at him with wide, bright eyes. “I am fine,” she assured him with a grin. “I am not porcelain.”

As predicted, the Vision reached out a hand to help her up, but he moved to lift her off of the floor before their fingers could touch. He cradled her against his body and brushed her dark hair out of her face. “Are you hurt?”

“Stop fussing, Pietro,” she muttered in Sokovian. “I am not a child.”

“I did not mean to,” Vision repeated.

Pietro just glared at him. He had always had a problem with _anyone_ laying a hand on his sister, in any capacity, but there was something about this _robot_ touching her that made him shake with rage, while in training combat or on his _bed_.

Wanda reached around him and curled her fingers around the android’s forearm. “I am fine, Vision. There is no need to say anything more about it.”

Wanda left the large, high-ceilinged room with a huff. Captain Rogers allowed her to leave without a reprimand and the Vision followed her after a nervous moment of hesitation. Pietro was quick to race after them, but he stayed out of sight once he saw that they had stopped in the hallway.

“I am truly sorry,” Vision apologized softly.

Wanda spun around to face him with an exhale and an exasperated smile. “I’m not upset about that. It was fun. I’m glad you didn’t go easy on me, everybody else does.”

The robot nodded in acceptance before he spoke again. “But you are upset?” He paused before adding, “Because of what happened last night?” 

She quickly stepped up to him and placed both of her hands on his chest. “No,” she cooed. “I _loved_ last night.” She slowly moved her hands across his shoulders and down his arms before she spoke again. “Did you?”

He took both of her hands in his and brought one to his mouth to kiss. “Very much so.”

Wanda practically glowed with the declaration. She took a step closer to the much taller android, so that they were only inches apart. “Want to hang out in my room?”

The Vision swallowed, not a biological necessity, before he nodded. “Yes, yes, I would like that.”

She giggled happily, a completely girlish sound, and started to lead him down the hallway by the hand. 

 

Wanda and the Vision did not make a public announcement of their newfound relationship status, but they took advantage of every moment to sneak away and be alone, and most of the Avengers were entirely aware of what was going on. 

(Maybe not Captain Rogers because he was rather oblivious about these things.)

One way that they found to spend time together without drawing too much suspicion was flying lessons. It had been Sam’s suggestion to see if Wanda could use her powers to levitate to fly at high altitudes instead of just hovering, so he had taken the lead in the beginning. But as Sam got distracted by other tasks and assignments, the Vision was the natural selection to be her replacement instructor.

As Pietro watched the two of them through the window of his bedroom, he couldn’t keep the frown off of his face. He was proud that his sister was harnessing her power and developing such a valuable skill, but flying seemed to be just another thing that she was doing without him since they had come to America. He was used to zipping around with her in his arms and now she didn’t need him to cover a large distance in a short amount of time. Flying did the job just fine.

He watched a sudden drop in Wanda’s elevation and his eyes widened in panic…but the Vision was there to catch her in the blink of an eye.

He was always there.

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself, and then she found her balance and concentration once more. 

Pietro mindlessly tossed the tennis ball in his hand as he continued to watch the two of them. Wanda’s skills were really coming along, but the Vision continued to be her safety net. _Just in case_. It was infuriating. With every passing day, Pietro found that red hunk of vibranium more and more infuriating.

Growing restless, he finally decided to leave his room and race outside.

“How am I supposed to keep up with you now?” He called up to her in Sokovian.

She gracefully landed on her feet next to him and greeted him with a laugh. “You’ll find a way I’m sure.”

“I’ve always been chasing after you, Wanda.”

Before his sister could respond, the Vision soundlessly landed on the ground and grinned widely. “Isn’t she making excellent progress, Mr. Maximoff?”

“You can call him Pietro,” she chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s awesome,” Pietro responded genuinely. “You’re catching on really quickly.”

“Well, Vizh is a great teacher.”

So he was _Vizh_ now.

The Vision beamed at her compliment and Pietro felt a clenching in his stomach.

“Wanda is a natural,” he retorted.

Pietro rolled his eyes as his sister promptly stepped towards the towering scientific creation. He really had a hard time stomaching the lovey-dovey smiles, and giggling, and small, sneaky touches. He hadn’t even realized that his sister was capable of acting that way around someone. He was so used to her being serious and focused; their life in Sokovia hadn’t left much room for boys and teenage crushes. 

 

A few days later, Pietro felt his frustrations boiling over and he caught the Vision floating through the corridors like the unnatural being he was. Pietro was quick to pin him to the wall and press his forearm against his synthetic throat.

The Vision just blinked at him. “Mr. Maximoff, are we going through a spontaneous training exercise?”

Pietro just shook his head. “I thought we had an understanding, Vision.”

He just blinked at him again, his piercing blue eyes spinning thoughtfully. “An understanding about what, Mr. Maximoff?”

Pietro increased the pressure on Vision’s throat, but of course he didn’t tense or shift. The Vision may be the strongest of them all, aside from his sister. “We had a conversation about Wanda, if you remember?” The Vision, for all of his abilities, was unable to hide the way his entire body practically buzzed at the mention of her. “And you agreed to stay away from her.”

The slightest wrinkle formed in his brow. “I do not remember agreeing to that. I am not sure why I would say such a thing. I enjoy spending time with Miss Maximoff very much.”

Pietro’s nostrils flared and he exhaled very slowly. “I will be more direct. Stay away from my sister. She’s not yours. She will never be yours. You are not good enough for her. You are not even _human_.” He watched the Vision hang his head in embarrassment and it sent a thrill of satisfaction through him. “Do you understand now?”

“I believe so,” he responded quietly.

Pietro had strategically played on every one of the Vision’s newfound insecurities about humanity. He recognized that it was cruel, but it was also necessary. “Look,” he spoke, his voice quieter, softer. “I know that what you think you feel for her is love, but that just isn’t possible.” With his free hand, he covered his heart and watched the Vision’s eyes follow the movement. “My heart beats for _her_ , nothing else can compare.”

The android nodded, understanding finally clouding his expression. “I understand, Mr. Maximoff. I am sorry.” 

 

Pietro had always sensed his sister’s emotions, but everyone in the compound knew that she was upset this time. The Vision was avoiding her, so much so that he had volunteered for a mission in South Africa.

The night the team was set to return, Wanda sat on the living room sofa nervously chewing on her fingernails.

“Wanda,” he called when he stepped into the living room. “It’s late.”

“I know,” she snapped.

He sighed loudly as he slowly walked towards her. “You can stay in my room tonight if you want. If you’re afraid to go to sleep. I know you’ve been sleeping in his room.”

If Wanda was surprised by his statement, she didn’t show it.

“I want to be awake when the team gets back, to see if they’re okay.”

“You mean to see if _he’s_ okay.”

She glanced up at him, her eyes flashing red in irritation. “So?” She challenged.

Pietro pursed his lips and said nothing. Now was not the time to have this conversation, not while she was so clearly on edge. His sister was looking for a fight with him and he was not about to give it to her. “Fine,” he huffed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He retreated back to his bedroom, but he kept his mind focused on his sister. She eventually went back to her bedroom as well and surprisingly, the Vision sought her out in the early hours of the morning. 

He phased through her wall and stood at the foot of her bed. She blinked up at him sleepily. “You’re back.”

He nodded slowly. “I couldn’t wait to see you, I’m sorry.”

“You’ve been avoiding me,” she pointed out.

He was quick to apologize again. “Yes, I have, I’m sorry.”

Wanda slowly sat up in her bed and stared at him for the longest time, forcing the robot to speak again.

“I got you something.” He knelt on the end of the bed and reached into the pocket of his khakis for his present for her. It was a ring box, and he handed it to her with a shaky hand. “I know that you’re going to think it’s too much, but I saw it and I thought of you. I truly care about you, Wanda, and I know that I will never deserve this sort of relationship with anyone, certainly not you, and I—”

“Vision.”

“No, please, let me finish. I know that I should stay away from you,” he continued. “But I can’t. It…hurts.”

She reached out and gently smoothed the furrow between his eyebrows. “It hurts?”

He nodded in confirmation and kept his gaze firmly focused on the bedsheets beneath them. “Everywhere.”

Wanda cupped his face with both hands and leaned forward to kiss him. “Don’t stay away,” she whispered.

The Vision shook his head and kissed her back. “I won’t. I can’t.”

She took the small box out of his hand and laid it on her bedside table before she looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her. He followed without a fight and they exchanged sweet, closed mouth kisses.

Pietro wanted to close his eyes and give his sister her privacy, but he just couldn’t.

They kissed for several more minutes before Wanda gripped his jaw and coaxed his mouth open with her tongue. The Vision pressed her into the mattress and worked his hands into her hair.

Wanda hummed and moaned and it made Pietro clench his jaw.

“Can I touch you?” The android asked worriedly.

Wanda nodded as she bit down on her bottom lip. “Please,” she whimpered.

His hands hovered over her nervously as his appraising gaze moved over her slowly. “Show me?”

Pietro almost scoffed out loud, but the other Maximoff looked at the Vision like it was exactly what she wanted to hear.

She shifted into a sitting position and looked at him with a smile. “Come sit behind me.”

He did exactly as he was told. He hovered above the bed and floated behind her, phasing so that he didn’t actually have to disturb her position. He settled on the bed, his legs outside of each of hers, and she leaned back against his chest. He pushed her hair to one side and dipped his head to kiss her neck. 

There was no sound, but Wanda opened her mouth in a sigh at the press of his lips.

“Oh, Vision,” she whispered as she grabbed his hand and traced it down her abdomen. She pushed his hand into her panties and she immediately arched into the touch.

“Oh,” he stated in wonder.

She giggled at his reaction and wrapped her other arm up and around his neck. “What is it?” She questioned curiously.

“I didn’t think it would be like this,” he admitted. “This is wonderful. You feel wonderful.”

Pietro could see the Vision’s fingers as they began to move inside of her underwear, her hand still guiding his.

“You feel wonderful,” she echoed. Her breath hitched and she bit down on her bottom lip before she spoke again. “Yeah, right there.” She gripped his hand harder and sloppily sought out his mouth. “There.”

His fingers twitched and he asked for confirmation. “There?”

She moaned and her hips arched up off of the bed. She kissed him again before she gasped. “No one has ever touched me like this.” Her nose butted against his cheek as she added, “I’m glad it’s you.”

“I feel so privileged, Wanda. I am not worthy of being in your presence.”

“Oh hush,” she grinned.

The pace of their movements increased, as did the volume of Wanda’s moans. Her hand had stopped directing him and moved to grip his thigh. His other hand was splayed across her abdomen, keeping her relatively in place as she rocked against his fingers.

She was close, Pietro could tell that she was on the edge. So close. He was so focused on her that he almost missed the way that her eyes flew open and flashed crimson before he felt a force against his chest. It was not enough to hurt, but it was enough to send him physically backwards and out of her mind.

She had severed their connection. It had only happened one another time, when he had fallen in the streets of Novi Grad peppered with bullets.

For the first time in his entire life, he felt utterly alone. 

 

Wanda confronted him the next morning. In his bedroom. At the crack of dawn.

She stood at the foot of his bed with a glare and her arms crossed over her chest. “You’ve been spying on me.”

He didn’t respond.

“You used our connection to _spy on me_ ,” she continued angrily. “You betrayed my trust. That was private, Pietro!” She yelled.

He slowly got out of bed and stood up.

“Are you going to say anything?” She demanded.

After a moment, he shrugged. “I was just trying to protect you,” he muttered.

“I don’t understand how!” She stated incredulously.

“Me either,” he confessed.

He barely remembered their parents. In his mind, he had only ever had Wanda, and he would do anything to protect her, he would do anything for her, and he would follow her anywhere. When she had led him by the hand to their first protest at the age of twelve, he hadn’t argued. When she had brought him a pamphlet looking for volunteers, he hadn’t questioned it. It had been their way off the streets; their way to make real change. Wanda made the decisions and he followed – that’s the way it had always been. He felt incredibly lost now that he wasn’t in step with her.

There had always been a clear, acceptable reason to explain their closeness. They were twins. They were European. Their parents died. They lived in each other’s heads. But none of those gave him an excuse to meddle in her life the way that he had. The way that he had watched, and threatened, and manipulated was unhealthy. He didn’t want anything more from Wanda than what they already had, he just didn’t want anyone else to have her, in any capacity. She was his twin sister after all, his perfect counterpart.

He sat back down on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands. He knew that Wanda was reading every thought and feeling that passed through him, and maybe that was the easiest way for him to explain himself.

He felt her sit down beside him and place a hand on his bare back. She leaned in and kissed the top of his head. “I love you, brother,” she whispered in Sokovian.

He wrapped both of his arms around her waist and held her tightly. “I need you, Wanda.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she assured him gently.

His grip on her intensified, as if he didn’t believe her. It already felt like she had left.

She brushed his messy hair off of his face and kissed his forehead. “We can live different lives now, Pietro. It is a good thing.”

It didn’t feel like a good thing. The thought of living a life separate from her made him physically ill.

He buried his face in her neck and willed himself not to cry. Not even the excruciating pain of Hydra’s experiments had made him cry. “I only know what it’s like to live a life with you.”

“I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”

He wasn’t sure how much time passed, she just held him and played with his hair. It always calmed him down.

When he spoke again, he had the confidence that he wasn’t going to break into ugly, retching sobs. “I’m sorry,” he finally apologized. 

“I know,” she responded quickly, her chin resting on the top of his head. “You’re an idiot, but you love me. But you _cannot_ ,” she began sternly, “spy on me anymore.”

He raised his head and nodded in agreement, his blue eyes connecting with her green ones. “I won’t,” he promised.

“And stop trying to scare Vision.”

Pietro couldn’t help himself from rolling his eyes. “I don’t think the puppy dog is going anywhere.” He glanced down to the chains hanging around her neck and caught a glint of new, shiny jewellery. There was now a diamond, ruby encrusted ring sitting beside her cherished coin. “Did he give you that?” He asked with a gesture.

She held the ring between her fingers and nodded. “Yeah, he brought it back from South Africa.”

“Looks expensive,” he commented.

“That’s what I told him.”

He swallowed audibly and looked around the room. “Is he really what you want?”

Instead of directly answering his question, she smiled and brushed his cheek with her thumb. “Someone else in my heart doesn’t mean there’s less room for you, Pietro.”

Before he could respond, they were both startled by Vision phasing through the wall. “Mr. Maximoff,” he announced, “would you like some coffee? I made a tea for Wanda.”

The twins turned to him at the same time, Wanda with a smile and Pietro with a sigh.

“Vizh,” she giggled, “you have to knock, remember?”

“Oh yes, I am terribly sorry. I will just—”

Pietro interrupted him with a shake of his head. “No, don’t worry about it. Coffee sounds great.”

Vision smiled happily and phased once more, back through the wall he came.

“You have to be nice,” she demanded.

He rolled his eyes once more, their dynamic beginning to shift back to normal. “I will never be sincerely nice to anybody that’s sleeping with you.”

She smacked his chest in retaliation. “Like you’re so innocent.” 

She hit him again before he pulled her in for another hug. “You’re my baby sister, it’s my job to protect you.”

“We can protect each other,” she compromised.

That was a change he could live with.


End file.
